Trunki's - good idea or waste of money?

[KattyKit]

Hi sorry this is such a boring thread - would anyone recommend a trunki? Are they useful for airports with a 3 1/2 year old?

Thanks

[Pickle]

My experience is that they're a bit of a nuisance. If your child doesn't want to ride it, or pull it, they become a slightly unwieldy piece of kit to cart around an airport. I also found in flight they were bulky and quite hard to get into in the limited space you have.

We fly long haul to NZ once a year, and find having backpacks for each child much easier than the Trunki (which we've since sold).

[KattyKit]

Thanks Pickle - that's really helpful

[esme]

I agree with Pickle - they look cute but more of a hassle, just use a larger suitcase for your kids stuff and save the money :)

[Convex]

We've found ours to be really good, our son us a but younger though and we've used it since 10mo-2.5 including long haul.

It doubles as a toy box at destination so he knows exactly where his stuff is.

But I think a good backpack or wheelie will last you longer given her age.

(We have almost never used it as a ride on toy, so don't buy it for that!)

[Convex]

Sorry actually he dies ride in it at home! But not when travelling I meant.

[shaunag]

Our 3 year old loves her trunki. We regularly fly short haul and it's a life saver for the long walk to/from the gate to the baggage area (and beyond now we have 2 but only a single buggy). So it probably depends on the child! Might be worth gauging interest or borrowing one for a trip first to see if your child likes it....

[sugarmouse]

We just took two to Spain - for our 4 and 6 year olds - and they absolutely loved them! In truth, they were a bit big for them (6 year old boy had to hold his legs straight out in front!) but they passed the time in the airport, were a godsend when there was nowhere else to sit down and were also surprisingly roomy - each held three or four outfits for the kids.

I'd recommend them but buy second hand if you can

[SBot]

We borrowed one for a holiday to turkey, daughter was 3.5 yrs. it was a pain!! It's a bugger to steer so she would fall off on turning....... Everything falls out when you open it......it's a faff to close......if she pulled it along it kept tipping over.

She now has her own small (hand luggage size) suitcase on wheels, a lot easier!!!

[ClareC]

My two love theirs, play with them all the time. That said we take them for weekends/ nights away but have back packs for flights - think they would be a bulky pain on a flight.

[Gooders79]

We were dubious about them thinking we'd have to carry another bit of luggage but actually was great for our 2 1/2 yo, he fell off a couple of times but thought that was hilarious and loved being pulled along, it was much quicker than walking with him would have been. We packed it light though so it only had his bits for the plane in it, will definitely use on next trip.

[Smiler]

Good for toys and sitting on if waiting around. Menace when children run over people's toes with them!

[Smiler]

Oh, and when you open them on the plane and everything falls out!

[mima08]

We had one for a year and my son (3.5) loves his one. Taken it on several short haul flights and train journeys. He's not been in a buggy for about a year as well, so it was a godsend to have something that means we dont' have to carry him.

Second the bit about everything falling out :)

[KattyKit]

Thanks all - I think I will get a second hand one to try out

[shaunag]

Oh, there's a knack to packing/opening them-you need to have the fixed bit of the latch on the ground when you open it-pack it knowing you will open it this way and I have found things don't fall out do much (or maybe it's just what we are packing)...